Safe Opening & Combination Change: getting ready

Pry marks circle the dial after an overnight break-in attempt, and the safe now refuses every number that used to open it, as if something inside has locked itself down.

Worth answering before the call

Is there a data plate or any paperwork you can find? Roughly how old is the safe, if you had to guess? What brand and model is the safe, if you know it?

Will opening my safe damage it?

In most cases the lock and case are left intact, since manipulation, decoding and manufacturer reset paths all work the mechanism the way the original combination would. Drilling is kept for cases where the gentler routes are unavailable or exhausted, aimed at one small point the manufacturer marks as repairable, and patched before the visit ends; a skilled technician aims to leave the rest of the body, hinges and finish unaffected, though the outcome and any effect on the safe's rated protection level depends on its construction.

How should I keep a written record of my new combination?

Somewhere away from the safe itself: a sealed note held by a manager, a separate secure file, or a password manager already used for other business records all work better than a note taped to or near the safe, which is one of the first places anyone would check. Deciding who updates that record when staff change is worth agreeing on before this visit ends.